Like this:

Good News Everyone

Posted from my phone.

I managed to get my blog and phone working together the way I want, including pictures. All thanks to a WordPress plugin called Postie. The upside is that I can now post from pretty much anywhere. The downside is that I need to learn the tags the plugin will recognize for formating.

What This Means

I’ll be able to make my personal blog more personal. Expect to see me post a bit more often. (I’m on my phone now.) Also expect to see a lot of weird errors and spelling mistakes. My phone is by no means smart, so no spellcheck. I’ll be blogging cammando.

Like this:

For me, the best part of being part of a blogging network was the community. I loved the blogging forum they provided. Being able to talk to other bloggers. Having a place I could go to ask questions, or help out when I had some answers. Now that network is on it’s way out and we’ve lost what made it great.

There is another…

I decided to do something to prevent that loss. I’ve set up a forum on www.BloggingEmbers.com/forum/. (I’m setting up a redirect to Blogging-Embers.com so it doesn’t look so smooshed.) I decided to use /forum so there would be room for additions that the bloggers might want at some later date. Things like a job board, network listings or a section of blogger classified ads.

I hope that my friends from 451 will sign up, though I would understand if they decided against it. I also hope to make some new friends. Blogging Embers is open to all bloggers, not just the refugees from closed blogging networks.

That includes people who are new to blogging. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that I learned a lot from talking to people, especially other bloggers. I’ve learned more than I could have possibly learned on my own. A forum like this is priceless. That’s why I can’t let it go without at least trying to hold things together.

If you have a blog, or if you’re just thinking about starting one, please join. If you have a friend with a blog, please let them know about the board.

I’ve written for 451 Press at AnimeFansOnline.com for about 2 years now. I’m sorry to say it, but that has come to an end. After some recurring technical difficulties, we Bloggers received an e-mail letting us know that 451 Press was closing up shop.

Good Times

I enjoyed my time at 451 Press. Sure there was some stress and things got weird from time to time, but most of it was good. I learned a lot from writing Anime Fans Online. I did some stuff I wouldn’t have tried otherwise, and I’m better for it.

Why I’m going to miss the most is the community. The forum was a good place to go to ask questions of other writers. Technical issues, writing or just shooting the breeze, there was usually someone there to discuss things with.

Sure, there were rough times and disagreements too. The furor when the pay model changed, mostly because of new requirements for getting paid. The sporadic communication from the higher ups. Even the spammy looking site templates were a regular target of derision from inside and out. Getting through all that made me feel like 451 was going to be around for a long time. Even if I parted ways with them, it would still be there.

Shutting Down

The forums are closed and the bloggers are being removed from the sites. I noticed that my name is missing from the by-line on Anime Fans Online now. It’s probably only a matter of time before sites start closing altogether.

Time to move on.

I still have projects of my own to work on. FanaticSpace.com is moving along. I have a few other sites waiting in different states of preparation. I’ll be able to devote more time to them now.
Goodbye 451 Press. No matter what others may think, I’ll miss you.